2016/17 Bundesliga Team of the Season: Left midfielders

2 years ago

Incredible as it seems, the 2016/17 Bundesliga season is already drawing to a close, and as usual at the business end of a campaign, it is time to hand out the prizes. We want you to decide who is honoured by voting for the bundesliga.com Team of the Season.

Emil Forsberg(RB Leipzig)

“Hello, this is Emil Forsberg. How may I assist you?” Jokes about the Sweden international’s remarkable assist record rarely get old, because the 25-year-old just continues to deliver outstanding performances on a regular basis. Into double figures for goals created as early as February, he has also scored against the likes of Wolfsburg and Leverkusen and has essentially made the single biggest contribution to Leipzig’s qualification for a UEFA Champions League spot.

When Serge Gnabry moved from Arsenal to Werder Bremen last August, his career was in need of a shot in the arm. A series of stunning displays with the Germany Olympic team in Rio de Janeiro in August – he scored six goals in six games to help Germany to the silver medal – set the tone for an impressive first season in the Bundesliga, where he has helped transform the club from relegation battlers to European contenders. A goal in the derby at Hamburg, plus decisive strikes in away wins at Mainz and Wolfsburg, have made him a firm fans' favourite at the club.

Like Forsberg, Grifo instantly took his Bundesliga 2 form from last season into this one, providing four assists in his side’s first four matches. He has also scored in wins against Eintracht Frankfurt, Bremen and Cologne that have put the newly-promoted club in the hunt for an unexpected European place. After falling short of the required standard in the Bundesliga for Hoffenheim some years ago, he is now a bona-fide top-flight talent.

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